Congratulations to the Chairman of our Board, Ron Thomsen, and our wonderful volunteer, Fred Leake, for their Central Coast Council Australia Day nominations.

Both nominated for their significant contribution to volunteering, the amazing Fred also picked up a Highly Commended Community Volunteer of the Year Award. Not bad for a young 93 year old!

 

When it comes to dedicated volunteers, you don’t need to look any further than Meals on Wheels Central Coast.  Serving the community for 50 years, Meals on Wheels commitment to the Central Coast is demonstrated by the consistent stream of people lining up to volunteer for this respected Organisation.

Giving their time freely, these valued team members have helped shape Meals on Wheels Central Coast, supporting the organisation through times of change and helping them move towards a positive future.

It’s an extremely special event then, when the honour of Life Membership is bestowed upon volunteers, this respectful title awarded to those who have gone above and beyond during their time of service.

Not one, but three Life Members have just joined the ranks of a minority before them, their names announced at the Meals on Wheels Central Coast AGM in November.   Between them, Gail Ransley, Dorothy (Dot) Phillips and Margo Lowe have over 60 years of loyal service to Meals on Wheels Central Coast, acting in various volunteer roles over the years.

Involved with Meals on Wheels Central Coast for 24 years as a meal deliverer, Gail Ransley has also served on the Board for 17 years, holding various Executive roles during this time.  Working in the community, Margo Lowe has spent 16 years delivering food to valued clients, her 14 years spent on the Board also involving a variety of Executive roles.   A well know face around the Coast, Dot Phillips served as Treasurer on the Board for 11 years,  also serving up meals at our Community Restaurants for around 20 years.

 At a special presentation at the Meals on Wheels Central Coast head office at Tuggerah on Monday 18 December 2017, Board Chair Ron Thomsen and Chief Executive Officer Dennis Taylor presented these exceptional women with their Life Membership awards.

Meals on Wheels Central Coast are honoured that these wonderful Central Coast residents have devoted so much of their time over the years to not only their organisation, but to the local community.

 

 

Pictured from Left to Right: Dennis Taylor, CEO; Gail Ransley; Margo Lowe; Ron Thomsen, Chairperson; Dot Phillips (seated)

Thanks to a grant from the NSW Department of Family and Community Services, Meals on Wheels for Furry Friends kicked off earlier this year, and is available to all Central Coast residents. Premium quality food can now be delivered to your door for those extra special family members, the furry relations loving the food on offer.

Take a look at the short clip below, and see how our Furry Friends Program can help you. For more information on this program, contact us on 4357 8444.  To Donate to Meals on Wheels Central Coast, click here.

We were happy to have a chat with Radio Five-O-Plus 93.3FM today about our Furry Friends Program, Christmas Meals and Social Support programs.  To listen to the interview between Margaret, Radio Five-O Plus presenter, and Pip our Marketing Officer, click below.

 

On Monday 4 December, representatives from Meals on Wheels Central Coast travelled to Caringbah where  we met with Sutherland Food Services.  It was a great opportunity for our organisations to share visions and ideas for the future.

 

 

Pictured from left to right, Pip (Marketing Officer MOWCC), Leesa (Risk & Assurance Officer MOWCC), Sue (Manager Sutherland Food Services), Dennis (CEO MOWCC) and Dave (Warehouse Manager MOWCC).

 

What a wonderful opportunity we had last Friday, meeting with an Aged and Disabled Delegation from the Sichuan Province in China.

It was a great honour to host our special guests, and we look forward to sharing ideas in the future.

 

We are extremely proud to have received an Innovation Award for our Furry Friends Program, as part of the Meals on Wheels NSW Food Services Awards.

What a wonderful achievement for our team!

Meals on Wheels Central Coast will be sharing its knowledge on the elderly and disabled with a visiting delegation from China on Friday 13 October at its distribution centre in Tuggerah.

The significant visit headed by Ms Chen Qin, Director of Aged and Disabled Committee of the Standing Committee of Deyang Municipal People’s Congress, will see Meals on Wheels Central Coast impart relevant information on their operations, along with the role that this iconic Central Coast institution plays in the community.

“This is a significant cultural visit for the Coast.  We are honoured to have been chosen as a venue that these authorities in the Chinese aged care and disability sector want to visit,” said Dennis Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of Meals on Wheels Central Coast.

“We are looking forward to sharing ideas with the Chinese delegation, and exploring different cultural and business perspectives together.  This is a friendship that we will foster, and look forward to an ongoing relationship with Ms Qin and her party.

“The exchange of information is important to both our regions,  and ideas on the development of ageing and disability related services in our respective local communities is of great importance to both Meals on Wheels Central Coast and our visitors.”

The delegation, from Deyang city in the Sichuan Province, will also include representatives from the Federation for Disables Persons of Deyang City, Deyang Municipal Aged Affairs Bureau, Aged and Disability Service Office of Deyang Municipal People’s Government, Federation for Disabled Persons of Mianzhu City and the Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Deyang Munipal People’s Government.

 

Have you heard the news? Combined Home Services is here …. a service designed to help you remain independently in your own home. Proudly supported by Meals on Wheels Central Coast, Combined Home Services will help take the stress out of everyday life.

Recently launched, Combined Home Services is another way that Meals on Wheels Central Coast is making residents in our community’s lives easier.  Combined Home Services offers a wide range of in-home services, including meal delivery and social support, housekeeping, removal services and lawn maintenance, physiotherapy and IT assistance. Available to anyone on the NSW Central Coast, their services are delivered by local professionals who are all experts in their industries.

By making just one phone call to Combined Home Services head office, clients can organise a call out to their home, with the service providers offering special rates for these customers.  Designed to help clients’ live happy healthy independent lives in their homes, Combined Home Services offers a complete solution for all home needs.  Call Combined Home Services on 4357 8478 and organise a quote today!

Take a look and like their Facebook page!

 

What a wonderful night our 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner was on Wednesday 30 August!  Here’s a few pictorial memories from the night.